Avoiding the monkeys on the runway and surviving the most dangerous airport in the world

The True Patriot Love expedition is setting out to raise awareness for Canadian soldiers injured at war — and inspire anyone suffering from similar mental and physical scars. Thirteen soldiers, a doctor and 10 civilians will eventually climb to the Mount Everest base camp, and then on to Island Peak. All the while, several trekkers, soldiers Master Cpl. Peter Burcew and Cpl. David Macdonald and civilians Scott Kress and Shaun Francis, will blog for the National Post. Today, Peter Burcew explains landing on an airstrip the size of a football field, in the middle of the mountains.

Have you ever seen monkeys running loose around airplanes on an airfield?

In order to meet the challenge of Everest, one must fly into Lukla. Also known as the most dangerous airport in the world!

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We flew from Kathmandu on a small Dornier, a Canadian-made two engine plane run by a regional airline. The airport there is distinct from back home. There are monkey and birds loose around the airport. Particularly with the recent crash – due to a bird strike- killing nineteen people just off the airstrip, it is very dangerous to have birds around the airport because of the potential interference with flights. Back home, our airports employ predatory birds like falcons to deter this interference.

I don’t know if you can imagine yourself landing on an airstrip the size of a football field. The airstrip is on an angle upwards to try to slow the plane. If the pilot fails to turn right at exactly the right moment, the result is absolutely fatal. Also, it is practically impossible to abort landing because a mountain surrounds the airstrip.

I remember when the Air France flight overran its intended landing at Toronto’s Pearson Airport. Although dangerous, all passengers onboard were able to escape before the plane burst into flames. Since the plane was able to skid a few hundred metres, it was the difference between life and death for all onboard. In Lukla, there are no fire trucks ready to be called, and there is no other option besides getting it right that first time.

The team took two separate flights into the Lukla Airport. I flew with the first half of the team and we had amazing conditions and a beautiful view as we descended into the Khumbu Valley within twenty metres of mountains on either side. Some of my team mates on the second flight couldn’t even see the airway due to fog from the low-lying clouds. But this is the norm here, and this is what we got through today.

BIOGRAPHY

Peter Burcew, 29, was born in 1983 in Zielona Gore, Poland, and immigrated to Canada in 1989 amid the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe. Settling in Montreal, he developed a passion for hockey and eventually studied political science at McGill. He joined the military as a reservist in the Régiment de Maisonneuve’ on June 29, 2001. During his second mission in Afghanistan [[RIGHT?]], in October, 2006, he was in a convoy that was hit by a suicide bomber, severely burning his left arm. Despite his injuries he returned to his burning vehicle to unload high-explosive ammunition that posed a deadly threat to those nearby, finally moving away from the vehicle only moments before the fire raged out of control. His injuries required a month’s convalescence before he rejoined his mission. In 2008, Burcew was among the soldiers awarded the Medal of Bravery by the Governor General for their conduct in the bombing’s aftermath.